1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to location-based services for multi-technology wireless devices. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for determining the location of a multi-technology wireless device when that device is operating in a foreign technology mode.
2. Description of Related Art
Various wireless technologies have been developed and implemented by wireless telephone carriers within and between different geographic locations around the globe. Examples of such wireless technologies include: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) (also ANSI-136), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Personal Communication Services (PCS), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE), and newer, third generation (3G) mobile systems currently under development. Additional wireless technologies have been developed for other applications such as computer networking (ie. Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) and Bluetooth). Each wireless technology type differs in such aspects as protocols, modulation techniques and system/subsystem architecture, thus making the equipment for each technology substantially incompatible with the equipment for the other technologies. Therefore, the various wireless technology types have created an obstacle preventing the wireless customer from being able to travel, or roam, between areas with different technology types, or take advantage of alternative technologies in an area having multiple technology types.
For these reasons, wireless equipment manufacturers have developed wireless devices capable of operating in multiple technology modes. Additionally, network conversion elements have been developed in order to enable such cross-technology wireless device operation. These multi-technology wireless devices can operate in both a home technology (native) mode or in one or more alternative technology (foreign) modes. When operating in a foreign mode, the network conversion element translates the signaling for a limited number of functions from the native technology protocol to the foreign technology protocol, consequently enabling the wireless device to access to those limited functions while operating in the foreign mode.
One example of such multi-technology wireless devices is that of GAIT mobile phones, or terminals, which are named after the standards body (GSM ANSI-136 Interoperability Team) which created the interoperability protocol. GAIT terminals are capable of operation in either GSM technology mode or ANSI-136 (TDMA) technology mode. This multi-technology operation is enabled by a network conversion element known as the Interworking and Interoperability Function (IIF) element, which enables limited mapping of functions between the GSM and ANSI-136 protocols.
For instance, the IIF element provides emulation of the requisite elements required for intra-technology roaming to the respective inter-technology components in order to provide for inter-technology call delivery. Thus, the IIF element emulates a native mode serving Mobile Switching Center (MSC) to the native mode Home Location Register (HLR), and it emulates a foreign mode HLR to the foreign mode serving MSC.
Location-based services are personalized services which are based on the location of a wireless device. Using various techniques wireless service providers are able to determine where, geographically, the wireless device is located. Examples of such services include roadside assistance, wireless device tracking, direction services to nearby attractions, traffic information, event information, and even location based targeted advertising, among others. These location-based services for wireless devices are value-added services in the wireless industry.
For example, in a typical location-based service for a wireless telephone, a location application (such as an application for the services described above) will query a mobile position server (MPS) for the location of a particular wireless telephone. The mobile position server then queries the HLR of the wireless telephone for the identity of the MSC that is serving the wireless telephone. Having the identity of the serving MSC, the mobile position server can then initiate the appropriate location signaling to equipment serving the wireless telephone in order to determine the location of the wireless phone. There are several positioning technologies that may be used, depending on the level of positioning accuracy needed by the application. The mobile position server then returns the location information for the wireless telephone to the application.
Therefore, the location-based service for a wireless telephone requires the mobile position server to obtain the identity of the serving MSC in order to initiate the requisite location signaling. However, in the case of a multi-technology wireless telephone that is operating in a foreign technology mode, such as a GAIT mobile phone as described above, the HLR contains only the identity of the network conversion element (which emulates the serving MSC). As a result, the typical location-based service for a wireless telephone is unable to obtain the identity of the actual serving MSC, and, therefore, is unable to initiate the requisite location signaling.
This problem would be common to any multi-technology wireless device operating in a foreign technology mode where standards and equipment have not been developed for mapping location-based service functionality between the technologies. A potential solution to this problem would be to develop standards and equipment for mapping location-based service functionality between whatever technologies the multi-technology system uses. However, this solution is undesirable because developing standards and equipment for mapping such functions is a lengthy and expensive process, and because the process would have to be repeated for each multi-technology system developed.
Thus, there is a need for a method of determining the location of a multi-technology wireless device operating in a foreign technology mode, without developing new standards and equipment for each multi-technology system developed.
There is also a need for a method of determining the identity of equipment serving a multi-technology wireless device operating in a foreign technology mode.
There is still further a need for a method of formatting an appropriate signaling message to obtain location information for a multi-technology wireless device operating in a foreign technology mode.
Further, there is a need for a method of identifying the type of technology in which a multi-technology wireless device is operating.
Even further, there is a need for a system for providing location-based services to a multi-technology wireless devices operating in a foreign technology mode.
Still further, there is a need for a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for determining the location of a multi-technology wireless device operating in a foreign technology mode.